Becoming a “solopreneur”

Recently, several of my
colleagues have chosen to leave their full time positions and started out on
their own.

As with most things, I’m
sure they’ll quickly see that this arrangement has its benefits and its
liabilities.

The independence is great
– but sometimes you feel isolated.

The commute is short – but
sometimes you need a little more space.

The freedom is extraordinary
– but it can make it difficult to structure your day.

Seth Godin hit the nail on
the head for me. Agenda
setting has been my biggest adjustment.

If you’re just starting
out on your own, or if you’re having difficulty setting your agenda, ask
yourself these questions:

Have you clearly defined the kind and amount of work you want?
If you’re not doing that type, or amount, of work, why not? What needs to change? Your goals and your tactics are out of alignment.
Do you have goals? If not, set them! How many business development calls should you make a day? When will you have your new marketing materials ready? Create metrics and give yourself deadlines. Then, take them seriously!
Articulate your goals to someone else – perhaps you can employ the buddy system. You tell them your goals and you listen to theirs. Help keep each other honest. I have several buddies and they’re invaluable to me. I hope I help them too.

If you’re struggling with
your agenda, “formally” structure your day. What time of the day will you make calls? When will you work on projects? When does your day start and end?

All the decisions are yours
to make.

What freedom – and what
responsibility!

Technorati tags: Seth Godin, Solopreneur

DISCUSSION

Chris:
You are so right. Partnerships are tricky. I’ve had great ones and horrible ones myself.
The one thing I’ve learned (which applies to more than just business partners) is to trust your instincts. I’ve gotten in trouble when I’ve seen the benefits of a partnership but tried to ignore (or rationalize) the areas I thought would be problematic. It has burned me every time and I try not to do that any more!
Ann

Thanks Ann, I was happy to stop by and notice a variety of people embarking on their journey of creation. It is great to see such a diverse range of circumstances and seeing people use them to their advantage. If you can’t change something, then you had better work with it and create a desirable outcome, otherwise you might be waiting forever to begin working on your dreams. It’s no good spending your life preparing to live, is it?
About the partnerships, as I mentioned, I like to establish partnerships for certain projects. Some work out to be long term and some are good to have as contacts or even just friends. I recently partnered with someone for a seminar I am running in October and it has turned out to be the best thing I could have done. He has helped me more than double the participants I was getting before. All this after the original partner just dropped out without even contacting me back. Blessing in disguise 🙂
Chris Lyons.

Wow – those are some great thoughts Chris. Thanks for commenting here – you made me go back to what I was writing a year ago and think about it.
In the last year I have found TONS of solopreneurs and built some great networking buddies – people to bounce ideas off of – mutual encouragement and coaching – even “water cooler” talk.
The adaptation Ann Handley mentions continues.
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Ann

I am a motivational speaker and peak performance consultant. I run seminars on the area of human potential and personal development. I work from home on most things but also do free speaking engagements and meet with prospects etc.
The hardest part for me is that my wife works full time and I have to balance out my 3 days per week at home with my 5 month old daughter, my 2 days were my daughter goes to daycare and the 2 weekend days.
I find that I do set goals (it’s also part of what I teach) but I can’t always have a formal plan because things just pop up and I can’t do things at times that are planned. If I miss out on doing something at a certain time or day then I just put my head down on a different day and work hard, smart and fast.
I try to structure things in a way that I don’t have to always be working on the business side of things. I like to do what I am passionate about, so I keep things as simple as possible. One tip I would give to those who are just starting out is, focus on a small number of things at a time, don’t get too far ahead of yourself. If you do then you will find yourself overwhelmed and won’t get anything done.
Lastly, if you are on your own it can sometimes be hard for people to pay attention to you and give you respect and recognition. It can also be very lonely and you can often lose perspective and get stale for new ideas and solutions to problems. My solution; I form partnerships/strategic alliances, but with a difference, I don’t just form partners for my business, I also form short term partnerships for single projects and events. This benefits all concerned and allows for more flexibility.
Well that’s enough from me.
Regards,
Chris Lyons.
http://www.endlesshumanpotential.com/

Solopreneurs: What’s your message?

Who am I and what am I selling? What specific benefits do I offer my clients? What makes my offering unique and valuable to my clients? Some people can walk out of the corporate lobby into their own business and

In fact – I am writing it now!
You have really made me think about the series of transitions we go through when we leave a corporation. After your comment I have spoken to several of my colleagues and found that many of these transitions are pretty common. I’m going to post about it in a few hours. I’ll start the list and maybe we can flesh it out as an aid to those that come after us – or ourselves as we cycle through them (I bet repeatedly!)
Thanks so much for some great food for thought.

thanks ann and ann.
have never seen “adaptation,” but the title is fitting for this situation, it seems. going from employee to solopreneur requires a huge adaptation. self-imposed structure it would seem is the key.
sounds like a great topic for an article.

Definitely have had to learn that, too, Michael…by imposing my own structure on my day. Sounds like Ann and I have similar work patterns dictated by family and other responsibilities — the mornings being the most productive time of the day, too — but I also build in structure the rest of the day in the way of breaks (walking the dogs, running an errand or two) to keep myself on task in between.
But don’t be too hard on yourself, and have fun with it. Did you ever see the movie “Adaptation”? There’s a wonderful scene in which the main character (a writer) is distracted by the thought of…whatever…food, fatigue (“I’ll just finish this page and then I’ll get a banana muffin. No, this paragraph, then. Okay, this sentence”…something like that) …sometimes, you just gotta go get the muffin and call it a day!
: )

Well Mike – I don’t think I got that gene either.
I try to concentrate on goals and timeframes – and then what I need to do to attain them kind of falls into place. I know I’m the most productive in the morning (kids asleep or at school, house is quiet, brain is fresh!) so I try to tackle the hardest things I need to do then.
I also try to build in rewards when I’m getting off track – I can’t do the thing I really want to do until I finish the one that I want to push off!!
Maybe Ann Handley has some additional suggestions.

hey ann and ann:
i’m totally NOT a structure person, so setting my own agenda has been my biggest challenge.
guess i missed out on that gene. i’m thinking it can be learned though. are the two of you structured by nature, or has it been something you’ve had to learn.
any thoughts?
thanks – michael

I completely agree. This is my first full summer and the kids being out of school is adding a new dimention as well! They’re 12, 14, and almost 16 – no one drives yet – but they all have a full schedule! Thankfully my husband works at night so we trade off on day stuff.
Thanks for stopping by!

I work out of my home, too, Ann..and have (off and on) for about 15 years. Structuring my day is critical for a few reasons. First, it helps me just put my head down, plow through, and GET STUFF DONE…as in: the morning is dedicated to writing and editing. Second, it allows me vital perspective when it’s time to put it down…as in: by late afternoon, before the kids get home, I *have* to stop to walk a dog or two…since they’ve been waiting patiently all day.
The toughest part about wearing your PJs to work (at least for me) is maintaining the balance. Work is fun — but you gotta keep perspective.

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